Written by

Paul Daugherty
Cincinnati Enquirer

The Reds have fired Dusty Baker. You could argue the fairness in that, given the success Baker has had in his six years here. What you can't debate is that fan dissatisfaction and ownership restlessness made the move mandatory.

Being pretty good is no longer good enough, for Reds fans or team CEO Bob Castellini. It wasn't just that the Reds ended the year on a six-game losing streak. It was that they looked disinterested doing it. The best a manager can do is set a tone. Baker's tone this year didn't work.

It's not that Baker isn't a good manager. He just isn't a good manager for this team, at this time. ...